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Dear Colleague letters to Secretary Kerry and President Obama

We celebrated one of our first major victories in June 2015, when 19 members of Congress signed a letter to U.S. Secretary of State John Kerry, urging him to prioritize the human rights of Palestinian children in Israeli military detention. This level of support from members of Congress on a Palestinian human rights issue was unprecedented and contained powerful language, noting that "Israel's military detention system targeting children is an anomaly in the world," and that ill-treatment of Palestinian children is "widespread, systematic and institutionalized" throughout the process. Read more.

In June 2016, 20 members of Congress signed a letter urging President Obama to appoint a Special Envoy for Palestinian Children. Over 27,000 individuals wrote their representatives to move Congress toward concrete action demanding accountability. A Special Envoy would promote greater respect for human rights, increase protections for Palestinian children, and aim to hold Israeli and Palestinian governments accountable to their obligations under international human rights law. Read more.

Petition: Stop Israeli Military Detention

In January 2017, we delivered a petition signed by over 11,000 people, putting the incoming Trump administration on notice: we demand the U.S. government prioritize the human rights of Palestinian children and hold Israeli authorities accountable for widespread and systematic ill-treatment and torture of Palestinian child detainees. Until we demand Israeli authorities comply with international law, the U.S. is enabling abuse and perpetuating injustice.

#NoWayToTreatAChild

Defense for Children International - Palestine (DCIP) is a local, independent Palestinian human rights organization committed to securing a just and viable future for Palestinian children in the Occupied Palestinian Territory.